“Can we take a stroll first before meeting your parents?” Jennie asks, because even is she’s able to calm her heart, apparently she can’t calm her feet, “And you did ask me out last night.”

Jennie unintentionally blushes at the recall of their conversation, and because of how what she just said sounded differently than she intended for it to sound.

Lisa looks away, and Jennie likes to believe that Lisa’s having the same crimson colour that’s on Jennie’s face, as Lisa says, “S-Sure, where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know,” Jennie admits truthfully, “Maybe just at the park?”

Lisa nods slowly, not in anyway looking back at Jennie. Not that Jennie is also looking,

For Jennie has her head low, afraid that the blush on her cheek decides to stay there.

And Jennie knows that that stupid blush keeps on creeping up and up,

Because then she hears Lisa say,

Word so short and simple, and yet makes her heart beat aflutter,

“… Okay.”

It’s never Jennie’s intention when she suddenly holds Lisa’s arm, because she knows herself for being the physical type.

It’s also never Jennie’s intention when she slowly loops her fingers tighter when the wind momentarily gets stronger, making her latch herself closer to the other girl for support.

It’s also never Jennie’s intention when she finds her other hand make its way on holding Lisa’s own as they continued to walk.

And it’s also never Jennie’s intention when her heart pounds against her chest so hard when she finally realizes what she’s doing.

Because she only realizes it,

When Lisa holds her hand tighter.

“Are you ready?”

Jennie sees Lisa tilt her head to the brunette’s direction.

But no words are able to form and come out of Jennie’s mouth, so Jennie plainly nods.

They walk to the restaurant where Lisa’s parents said where they’ll be.

They continue to walk, with Lisa walking a bit faster and further than Jennie, until they’re at front of the door, and it’s only then that Jennie halts for a split moment.

It makes Lisa stop walking as well when she notices that no one’s following her anymore.

“Lisa,” Jennie weakly calls, and Lisa’s never one to not hear it.

“Yes?” Lisa goes closer to her.

“Can you…” Jennie trails off, not able to bring her eyes to meet Lisa’s,

And Jennie can only play with her own fingers because she knows she’ll sound so pathetic, and so clingy, and so needy, and so desperate with her request,

“Can you please hold my hand?”

It was awkward.

Jennie has never stiffened like this before.

She has never grown this awkward before.

Before she met the Manobans in a proper lunch, that is.

Not even the warmth of Lisa’s hand on hers is able to pass through and melt the ice that makes her body shiver.

She mindlessly and restlessly stands in the same spot as she watches Lisa – who even asked permission from her if the blonde can release the hold on her hand, which Jennie grants her, and so Lisa smiles as a reply – go over her parents first to hug and kiss them as to meet them.

Jennie’s amused, she confesses. Not only because it’s heart-warming to see Lisa so happy in seeing her parents, but also because Lisa’s parents – let’s all admit – are not the wealthiest of all.

But Jennie’s amused – impressed, touched, even – because Jennie knows that even if where they are at now isn’t the best restaurant in all Korea, and Jennie’s sure that this is nowhere the type where she’s used to, Lisa’s parents – Jennie knows, Jennie’s sure – did their best to at least make her feel that the restaurant was. She knows it’s maybe to impress her, or maybe because Lisa’s parents think that she’s not used to low-class restaurants, or maybe they think that it’s the ‘proper’ way to accommodate her.

The restaurant isn’t shabby, not the dirt-poor restaurant, but not also a five-star one. Maybe somewhere in the middle, but Jennie admits the food here is also expensive, and she only wonders why Lisa’s parents even bother when they could have just used the money to…

“Jennie,”

Her thoughts are cut off when she hears Lisa call for her, a bright smile already plastered on Lisa’s face.

“Come here,” Lisa motions with a hand, “I’ll introduce you to my parents.”

And there goes all the nerves hitting Jennie again. For she suddenly can’t control her body, can’t even feel her body anymore. The anxiety and the panic she’s trying hard to suppress quickly catching up.

And she sees the same trepidation and awkwardness in Lisa’s father when he stands up and hits the corner of the table, making him trip – on his own foot – a bit before Lisa helping him to stand properly.

“Are you okay, Dad?” Lisa asks and her father can only nod repeatedly before bowing to Jennie – once, twice, until Jennie worriedly signals Lisa to make him stop

.

“G-Good day, Ms. Kim.” He shakingly says, and Jennie sees Lisa’s mother stand up as well as she bows to Jennie, too.

“Hello, Ms. Kim.” She says a bit more firmly than her husband.

And Jennie also only bows in respect – and in nervousness, “H-Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Manoban.”

No one seems to end the bowing so it’s Lisa – Jennie hears – say,

“Okay!” Lisa chuckles as she rubs her nape, “L-Let’s eat?”

Jennie quickly nods, just so they can sit already and she would not look like a stiff fool, standing there like a stick.

But Jennie guesses that she’s not the only one nervous because then she sees Lisa’s father accidentally bumping the corner of the table once more.

Jennie’s not one to talk too much, but she’s not one to be this quiet as well.

She only politely – and shyly, and warily – smiles to whatever it was Lisa’s parents are saying. Though she’d take small bites in between, and tiny murmurs to Lisa time to time.

It’s not that Lisa’s parents aren’t accommodating – heck, they’re very good hosts – it’s just that Jennie can also sense the uneasiness from them and in turn, makes her more tensed than she already is.

But Lisa’s quick in covering it because then she’ll reply to all their questions and, thankfully, she can somehow maintain the conversation they’re trying – hard, well, at least what Jennie thinks – to initiate.

“S-So, Ms. Kim,” She hears Lisa’s father speaking, “H-How is my daughter? I hope she’s not too much of a problem?”

Jennie hears Lisa scowl, making the latter’s father laugh.

Jennie smiles as well as she turn to Lisa, who was beside her, “Lisa?” She repeats the name as to play with it.

And Jennie makes sure that Lisa knows her tone, her tone that is about to tease,

“Don’t you dare, Jennie.” She hears Lisa whisper softly at her.

“Lisa, Lisa, Lisa,” Jennie repeats the name as to ponder on what to say, making her smile wider because she sees Lisa slowly turning to her. Death threats written all over the taller girl’s face.

“You see, Mr. Manoban,” Jennie continues to smile widely, “Your daughter has been very, very–”

“H-Hey, Jennie, you have to try one of these!” Lisa quickly cuts her off as to put something on Jennie’s plate, the panic in Lisa’s tone slowly being noticeable.

And Jennie tries her hardest not to laugh out loud because of Lisa’s antics and when she hears Lisa’s father say,

“Lisa! It’s ‘Ms. Kim’, where are your manners?!”

And Jennie finally lets her giggle out when she hears Lisa say,

“Sorry, Ms. Kim.”

Jennie ends up telling Lisa’s folks what they wanted to hear about their daughter, though Jennie drops subtle hints on how their daughter can be a pain in the ass, which sends Jennie quite a few daggers from Lisa. Not that Jennie minds, because she’s too busy laughing because of it.

But Jennie’s laugh was put into a pause when Lisa’s mother suddenly asks,

“Is my daughter seeing someone, Ms. Kim?”

Which made Lisa’s father choke on his food.

It was impulse that Jennie and Lisa stare at each other as to think of what to answer, and Jennie’s quick to understand what Lisa’s panicked eyes are trying to say,

“W-Well,” Jennie blinks a few times as she scrunches her forehead, “Y-Your daughter is…”

“Don’t mess up, Jennie,” She hears Lisa say in a hushed tone, and it takes everything of Jennie from stopping herself from laughing out loud when she hears Lisa barely add,

“… I’m begging you.”

And Jennie decides to just unexpectedly smile, just to see Lisa get clammy, “Well, you see, Mr. and Mrs. Manoban, your daughter is…”

But that smile gradually lowers when certain words – surprising words, because they were sudden and unexpected as well – come out of Jennie’s own mouth,

“Lisa is… very beautiful and very charming, and… it’s, it’s hard to actually not like her, and… well, you see…”

Jennie trails off, her eyebrows starting to meet together and her eyes blink repeatedly as she wonders what she just said.

What she said without thinking, and without much thought.

She only finds herself staring at Lisa, and she only finds Lisa staring back. Staring back with anticipation and contentment and bewilderment all at the same time.

And that was enough for Jennie to get lost in Lisa’s eyes once more.

When she doesn’t understand how easy it was to lose herself when Lisa stares at her, when she doesn’t seem to comprehend how her mind instantly blanks when Lisa stares at her like that,

Like what she wants to believe is…

“Ms. Kim?”

Jennie’s thoughts are cut off when she hears Mr. Manoban call her, “Is… Is my daughter seeing someone?”

Jennie clears her throat and quickly looks back at Lisa’s parents, “I’m sorry I blanked out,” She feels her ears get hot for no reason, “But what I’m trying to say is… L-Lisa’s” She scratches her her head, her hands fidget, her knees rise and lower,

Why the hell am I nervous?

“Lisa is very… likeable… so she has admirers, but… I don’t think she’s seeing someone.”

I hope not.

She hears Lisa exhale loudly, and Jennie knows it’s unintentional.

And so was Jennie’s nervous laugh, and so Lisa also starts to nervously laugh until they’re both laughing softly,

Leaving Lisa’s parents to wonder what’s funny.